Mayor George F. Apel has announced that a cooling center will be opened today for Vernon residents at the town's Senior Center, 26 Park Place, and will run through the remainder of this week, during normal business hours. "Our Office of Emergency Management has been closely monitoring the weather. " said Mayor Apel. "In anticipation of the high temperatures and excessive humidity forecasted for this week, I have ordered a cooling center opened in our Senior Center for anyone seeking refuge from the extreme heat.

By BILL LEUKHARDT, wleukhardt@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, July 1, 2014

PLAINVILLE - Squirts of cool water from the ground. Showers of water from overhead pipes and buckets on swivels. Perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day. Dozens of children have done so since 10 a.m. Monday at Paderewski Park, where the town's first splash pad has opened. Each day until September, the new attraction built on the site of a defunct wading pool will splash water on anyone who wanders across the concrete pad within range of the embedded nozzles in the pad and the overhead showerheads and buckets.

Almost as inevitable as the holiday party is that most dreaded dinner party casualty: spilled red wine. Red stains, whether from wine or punch or magic marker, are the most difficult to remove, and the sugars in wine make the stain even more stubborn, said Steve Boorstein, who owned a high-end dry cleaning business for 16 years and now dispenses garment care advice as The Clothing Doctor (clothingdoctor.com). How you treat a red wine stain depends on a host of factors, including the type of fabric and the color of the garment, but one key ingredient to success is consistent, Boorstein said: patience.

Almost as inevitable as the holiday party is that most dreaded dinner party casualty: spilled red wine. Red stains, whether from wine or punch or magic marker, are the most difficult to remove, and the sugars in wine make the stain even more stubborn, said Steve Boorstein, who owned a high-end dry cleaning business for 16 years and now dispenses garment care advice as The Clothing Doctor (clothingdoctor.com). How you treat a red wine stain depends on a host of factors, including the type of fabric and the color of the garment, but one key ingredient to success is consistent, Boorstein said: patience.

By BILL LEUKHARDT, wleukhardt@courant.com and The Hartford Courant, July 1, 2014

PLAINVILLE - Squirts of cool water from the ground. Showers of water from overhead pipes and buckets on swivels. Perfect to enjoy on a hot summer day. Dozens of children have done so since 10 a.m. Monday at Paderewski Park, where the town's first splash pad has opened. Each day until September, the new attraction built on the site of a defunct wading pool will splash water on anyone who wanders across the concrete pad within range of the embedded nozzles in the pad and the overhead showerheads and buckets.

With the heat and humidity rising, this may be just the day to head for a cool lake in the hills west of Hartford. Page D1 Here's what's waiting at Lake McDonough in Barkhamsted and New Hartford: Three public beaches with parking Boats for rent (or bring your own) Picnic tables and grills Hiking trails Or check www.courant.com/daycation for other daytrip ideas.

What remained of Bertha, a hurricane when it came ashore in North Carolina, had just passed through Connecticut -- unloading a July's worth of rain in a day. The streams were nearly out of their banks. Bigelow Brook, which roughly bisects the Yale Myers Forest, was a slow-moving, mostly shallow stream last month, almost relaxed. A spotted sandpiper poked about on its muddy fringe. In some of the marshy sections, bullhead lilies -- their flowers like tight fists -- began to unfurl their intensely yellow flowers.

As the temperature tops 90 degrees and the humidity climbs, local residents are dipping into the cool waters of Mill Woods Pond and Willard Pool. As of Monday, 37,162 people have sent ripples through the still waters. June 20 was the busiest day this year, when 1,152 people showed up to cool off, Salvatore Cucia, assistant director of recreation and parks said. Here are some cool facts about the town's two swimming spots: Mill Woods Pond was dug out and lined with concrete so bathers don't have to walk through the muck to swim.

AJoachim Mensing, a psychologist and vice president of the Lancaster Group, touts Davidoff Cool Water, a men's fragrance. C he perfectly proportioned nude male swimmer lunged out of the tropical blue water in slow motion as rock music blared the "Cool Water Theme." The 150 G. Fox & Co. cosmetics salespeople -- most of them women -- gasped, then applauded as the three-minute promotional film ended and the lights at the Farmington Marriott meeting room came up. They were being introduced to a new men's fragrance line, Davidoff Cool Water, from the Lancaster Group, one of Europe's top perfumers.

By JOHN JOHNSTON; Special to the Extra John A. Johnston writes about Manchester's history for The Extra., August 14, 1997

It wasn't always possible -- or necessary -- to select one of many spring water brands from local market shelves. Manchester area residents didn't go without nature's purest to quench a summer thirst. They had their own sources and the product was free. For years the most popular spring was at Highland Park. From a hillside pipe flowed a constant stream of cold and uncontaminated water. It was a short distance from the falls and former community building. Depending on the seasonal temperature, day of the week, and time of day, one might have had to wait for a turn at the free-flowing source.

Mayor George F. Apel has announced that a cooling center will be opened today for Vernon residents at the town's Senior Center, 26 Park Place, and will run through the remainder of this week, during normal business hours. "Our Office of Emergency Management has been closely monitoring the weather. " said Mayor Apel. "In anticipation of the high temperatures and excessive humidity forecasted for this week, I have ordered a cooling center opened in our Senior Center for anyone seeking refuge from the extreme heat.

With the heat and humidity rising, this may be just the day to head for a cool lake in the hills west of Hartford. Page D1 Here's what's waiting at Lake McDonough in Barkhamsted and New Hartford: Three public beaches with parking Boats for rent (or bring your own) Picnic tables and grills Hiking trails Or check www.courant.com/daycation for other daytrip ideas.

The idea of extending water and sewer service from Middletown on Route 66 is drawing a mostly negative reaction from some local officials and residents. Maranne Corona and Kathy Kokoszka, leaders of a citizens' group opposed to the proposed expansion of a section of Route 66 to four lanes, shadowed First Selectman Charles Augur as he appeared before the Middletown water pollution control authority Wednesday to raise the idea of extending the water and sewer lines about seven-tenths of a mile west into Middlefield.

By JOHN JOHNSTON; Special to the Extra John A. Johnston writes about Manchester's history for The Extra., August 14, 1997

It wasn't always possible -- or necessary -- to select one of many spring water brands from local market shelves. Manchester area residents didn't go without nature's purest to quench a summer thirst. They had their own sources and the product was free. For years the most popular spring was at Highland Park. From a hillside pipe flowed a constant stream of cold and uncontaminated water. It was a short distance from the falls and former community building. Depending on the seasonal temperature, day of the week, and time of day, one might have had to wait for a turn at the free-flowing source.

What remained of Bertha, a hurricane when it came ashore in North Carolina, had just passed through Connecticut -- unloading a July's worth of rain in a day. The streams were nearly out of their banks. Bigelow Brook, which roughly bisects the Yale Myers Forest, was a slow-moving, mostly shallow stream last month, almost relaxed. A spotted sandpiper poked about on its muddy fringe. In some of the marshy sections, bullhead lilies -- their flowers like tight fists -- began to unfurl their intensely yellow flowers.

As the temperature tops 90 degrees and the humidity climbs, local residents are dipping into the cool waters of Mill Woods Pond and Willard Pool. As of Monday, 37,162 people have sent ripples through the still waters. June 20 was the busiest day this year, when 1,152 people showed up to cool off, Salvatore Cucia, assistant director of recreation and parks said. Here are some cool facts about the town's two swimming spots: Mill Woods Pond was dug out and lined with concrete so bathers don't have to walk through the muck to swim.

The idea of extending water and sewer service from Middletown on Route 66 is drawing a mostly negative reaction from some local officials and residents. Maranne Corona and Kathy Kokoszka, leaders of a citizens' group opposed to the proposed expansion of a section of Route 66 to four lanes, shadowed First Selectman Charles Augur as he appeared before the Middletown water pollution control authority Wednesday to raise the idea of extending the water and sewer lines about seven-tenths of a mile west into Middlefield.

With her toes curled over the edge of a 25-foot brownstone cliff, Leslie Doane was mulling it over. Should she or shouldn't she leap into the cool water below? Around her a crowd of mainly teenage boys rooted for her to jump in every way they knew how. They reasoned, "What's the worst that could happen? A belly flop?" They urged: "You'll be so happy to have done it." They offered to jump with her, sang her the theme song from "Rocky" and started a slow clap that accelerated into a frenzy.

AJoachim Mensing, a psychologist and vice president of the Lancaster Group, touts Davidoff Cool Water, a men's fragrance. C he perfectly proportioned nude male swimmer lunged out of the tropical blue water in slow motion as rock music blared the "Cool Water Theme." The 150 G. Fox & Co. cosmetics salespeople -- most of them women -- gasped, then applauded as the three-minute promotional film ended and the lights at the Farmington Marriott meeting room came up. They were being introduced to a new men's fragrance line, Davidoff Cool Water, from the Lancaster Group, one of Europe's top perfumers.